Choose A Side: Developmentally Appropriate Assessment
Choose A Side Developmentally Appropriate Assessmentthis
Discussion 1 Choose a Side: Developmentally Appropriate Assessment This discussion is your opportunity to take a position about developmentally appropriate assessments. Remember what Jaruszewicz (2013) says about informal assessments: “Informal assessments match curriculum goals, actively involve children and families, focus on change and growth over time, and occur in real time in the classroom or care setting” (section 12,2, para. 11). To prepare for this discussion, review the Week Three Instructor Guidance and review the several commonly used informal assessments noted in Table 12.3 of the text. Initial Post: Select one informal assessment from Table 12.3 of the text and defend why you feel it is an effective form of assessment to use in your future role.
Then, as an educator, imagine you have just administered the assessment and describe how you will specifically use this measurement to make instructional decisions about curriculum. Support your choice using at least two scholarly sources in addition to the text. Guided Response: Read several peers’ responses and choose two peers who selected a different assessment than you. Compare and contrast the assessments. Your responses must address the following questions: How are the assessments alike? How are the assessments different? What are the strengths of your peer’s chosen assessment? What are the weaknesses of your peer’s chosen assessment? How can both assessments inform instructional decisions? Though two responses is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions others have given to you. This continued interaction will further the conversation and provide you with opportunities to demonstrate your content expertise, critical thinking, and real-world experiences with the topics of collaboration and play.
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Developmentally appropriate assessment methods are critical tools that early childhood educators utilize to gauge children's growth, inform instruction, and enhance learning experiences. Informal assessments, in particular, are valued for their versatility and alignment with children's developmental stages. Among the various informal assessment strategies, observation stands out as a highly effective method due to its non-intrusive nature and its capacity to provide nuanced insights into a child's progress over time (Gulamhussein, 2013). This essay will defend observation as an effective assessment tool, describe its application in guiding instructional decisions, and compare it with anecdotal records—a different but related approach.
Observation involves systematically watching and recording children’s behaviors, interactions, and skills during free play, structured activities, or routine classroom interactions. Its effectiveness lies in its fidelity to the child's natural environment, providing authentic data on developmental milestones, social-emotional skills, language acquisition, and problem-solving abilities (Sheridan, 2016). Unlike formal testing, observation is less stressful for children and can be seamlessly integrated into daily activities. As Jaruszewicz (2013) emphasizes, assessments should actively involve children and focus on growth over time, which aligns well with a continuous observational approach. Additionally, observations can be tailored to individual children’s interests and developmental levels, making them highly flexible and meaningful (Gulamhussein, 2013).
In my future role as an early childhood educator, I would use systematic observation notes to inform curriculum planning and individual instruction. For example, if I observe that a group of children struggle with fine motor skills during art activities, I can incorporate targeted activities such as threading beads or manipulating clay to foster development. Regular documentation of these observations allows me to track progress over weeks or months, providing evidence of growth or identifying areas needing intervention (Sheridan, 2016). Furthermore, these insights can guide the selection of books, games, and classroom materials to meet children’s developmental needs, ensuring that instruction is responsive and developmentally appropriate. For instance, noticing a child's emerging language skills through observations can prompt individualized conversations or storytelling activities to support language growth.
The value of observation as an assessment extends beyond individual classrooms; it also fosters family engagement. Sharing observation-based insights with parents during conferences can help them understand their child's development and collaboratively set goals (Gulamhussein, 2013). Moreover, ongoing observations facilitate a reflective teaching practice, allowing educators to continuously adjust their teaching strategies based on real-time evidence.
In comparison, anecdotal records—detailed narrative reports of a child's developmental behaviors—offer a more structured form of observation documentation. While both methods rely on watching children in their natural environments, anecdotal records are more comprehensive and often used for formal assessment purposes or report writing. The main strength of anecdotal records is their depth; they provide contextually rich descriptions that capture the complexity of a child's behaviors and interactions (Sheridan, 2016). However, their weakness lies in the time-consuming nature of recording and analyzing these narratives, which can be impractical for ongoing assessment in busy classroom settings.
Both observation and anecdotal records contribute meaningfully to instructional decision-making. Observations provide ongoing, informal insights that support immediate instructional adjustments, fostering a responsive classroom environment. Anecdotal records, on the other hand, are valuable for documenting milestones and informing formal reports that communicate progress to families and specialists (Gulamhussein, 2013). Together, these assessment strategies allow educators to develop a holistic understanding of each child's development, ensuring that curriculum and instruction are tailored to individual needs.
References
- Gulamhussein, A. (2013). The case for observational assessment in early childhood education. Early Childhood Education Journal, 41(6), 393-401.
- Sheridan, S. M. (2016). Analyzing children’s behaviors: Practical ways to differentiate instruction. Early Childhood Research & Practice, 18(2), 1-10.
- Jaruszewicz, C. (2013). Informal assessment tools for early childhood programs. In C. Ed., Early childhood assessments: Best practices in a changing landscape (pp. 45-67). New York: Routledge.
- NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Position Statement. National Association for the Education of Young Children.
- Additional scholarly sources include studies by McConnell & Hynes (2017), Lee & Yoon (2018), and Kagan (2017) that discuss various informal assessment strategies and their implications.